New contract with Huff OK'd

Skalla raises questions, casts lone no vote

July 11, 2011|By LOU MUMFORD | South Bend Tribune Staff Writer

NILES - Ric Huff has his new contract, but it wasn’t the slam dunk some might have expected.

On a 4-1 vote, the Niles City Council on Monday night approved the agreement that will take effect Oct. 1 when Huff, the current police chief, succeeds the retiring Terry Eull as city administrator. The lone no vote was registered by 4th Ward council member Tim Skalla. Council members Dan Vanden Heede, Pat Gallagher and Betty Arndt were absent.

The contract calls for Huff to receive a starting salary of $89,000 - substantially more than the $78,000 he receives as police chief but less than Eull’s $106,000 base salary. The pact was negotiated with Huff by Mayor Mike McCauslin, with assistance from city Attorney Robert Landgraf.

Skalla, who with retired city Fire Marshal Bruce Leach and write-in candidate Michael Squire II, will oppose McCauslin in the Aug. 2 primary election, was the lone council member to take issue with the proposed agreement, raising questions about the cost of potential unused sick leave and a provision entitling Huff to six months’ severance pay in the event he’s terminated.

McCauslin said he was “kind of surprised” by Skalla’s questions, pointing out he had sent the proposed contract to council members more than a week ago and had asked then that anyone with questions contact him so he could have Landgraf iron out any issues.

“I think it’s a very fair contract, not only to the city but to Ric,” McCauslin said.

The mayor said that, including benefits, Huff’s contract is actually about $30,000 lower than Eull’s. But Skalla managed to get McCauslin to state as well that, again with benefits, the pact’s total value is about $100,000.

“I’d like to see what we need to budget for to accommodate this,” Skalla said.

If other council members had budget concerns, they didn’t mention them as several took the opportunity after the vote to welcome Huff aboard.